FISDAP OPERATIONS ACTUAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
2026
▶ Upon arriving at a mass-casualty incident, the EMT is assigned to the
treatment area. Upon completion of duties in the treatment area, the
EMT should:
A) notify the incident commander and return to service.
B) report to the treatment officer for further instructions.
C) report to the transportation area to assist with transport.
D) report to the triage section to check for remaining patients.. Answer: B)
report to the treatment officer for further instructions.
Organized operations at the scene of a mass-casualty incident are crucial
in order to achieve the best possible outcome and maximize the number of
lives
saved. When the EMT is given an assignment, he or she should complete
the assignment and then return to the individual who gave the assignment
for
further instructions. Self-assigning at the scene (freelancing) is dangerous
and can compromise the effectiveness of the overall operation.
▶ A patient injured his arm and asks to be transported to a specific hospital
because he has been there before. The EMT states that he does
not feel the doctors there are competent and recommends a different
hospital. The EMT's behavior is:
A) legal and ethical.
B) ethical, but illegal.
C) legal, but unethical.
D) illegal and unethical.. Answer: C) legal, but unethical.
The EMT's actions in this case are not illegal; he cannot go to jail for
making such comments. However, his actions are clearly unethical and
unprofessional,
,and could lead to allegations of slander by the physician; this would be a
civil case, not a criminal one. You must not allow your personal feelings to
influence
a patient's decision as to who treats him or her, or where he or she is
treated.
▶ You arrive at the scene of an 80-year-old woman who is weak and
lightheaded. Her son, who called 911, is present and asks you to transport
his mother to the hospital. You should:
A) advise the son that he can probably drive his mother to the hospital.
B) comply with the son's request and transport the woman to the hospital.
C) take the woman's vital signs and apply supplemental oxygen if
necessary.
D) assess the woman and determine if she wishes to be treated and
transported.. Answer: D) assess the woman and determine if she wishes
to be treated and transported.
You must obtain consent from any mentally competent adult patient prior to
initiating treatment. Just because the patient is 80 years old does not mean
that
she does not have decision-making capacity. Also, just because her son
wants her to be transported does not mean that she agrees with this
request. Ask her
if she wishes to be treated and transported to the hospital. If she does, then
you have obtained consent and should proceed accordingly. If she does
not, you
should determine if she has decision-making capacity--that is, whether she
is mentally competent. If she is determined to have decision-making
capacity,
then you cannot legally treat or transport her. If she does not have
decision-making capacity (eg, she is confused, she is under the influence
of drugs or
alcohol), then you may treat and transport under the law of implied consent.
It is not the EMT's decision to determine, let alone recommend, that a
patient be
taken to the hospital via privately owned vehicle (POV}. If the patient
requests EMS treatment and transport, you are legally obligated to do so.
▶ When using the power lift to lift a stretcher, you should:
A) maintain a slight inward curve to your back.
,B) bend at the waist and keep your back straight
C) ensure that you lift with your palms facing up.
D) maintain a slight outward curve to your back.. Answer: C) ensure that
you lift with your palms facing up.
To achieve the best grip and to avoid injury to your wrists, you should lift a
stretcher, backboard, or other carrying device with your palms facing up.
Do not
bend at the waist; rather, bend at the knees and keep your back in a
straight, locked-in position.
▶ You and your partner have secured a trauma patient to a long backboard
and are preparing to lift the backboard onto the stretcher. When
doing so, you should:
A) lift the backboard from the sides instead of from the ends.
B) be sure to lift the backboard with the powerful muscles of your back.
C) recall that most of the patient's weight is at the foot end of the
backboard.
D) ensure that the strongest EMT is positioned at the head of the
backboard.. Answer: D) ensure that the strongest EMT is positioned at the
head of the backboard.
Since most of the patient's weight is distributed to the head end of a
backboard, you should always ensure that the strongest EMT is at that
position. This will
reduce the risk of injury to less strong personnel as well as the risk of
dropping the patient. The backboard should be lifted from the ends, not the
sides; you
have less control over the board if it is lifted from the sides. When lifting any
patient, you should use the powerful muscles of your thighs, not your back,
to
lift. Keep your back straight and in a locked-in position.
▶ Which of the following statements regarding the high-efficiency
particulate air (HEPA) respirator is correct?
A) HEPA respirator should be placed on any patient with tuberculosis.
B) Long sideburns or a beard will prevent the proper fit of a HEPA
respirator.
C) A surgical mask provides better protection against tuberculosis than a
HEPA respirator.
, D) A HEPA respirator is necessary only if the patient with suspected
tuberculosis is coughing.. Answer: B) Long sideburns or a beard will
prevent the proper fit of a HEPA respirator.
If you are caring for a patient with known or suspected tuberculosis (TB) or
COVID-19, regardless of whether the patient is coughing, you should place
a
surgical mask (or high-flow oxygen, if indicated) on the patient and a high-
efficiency particulate air (HEPA) respirator (N-95 or higher) on yourself.
Unlike a
surgical mask, the HEPA respirator is specifically designed to prevent
exposure to the bacterium that causes TB; it can also filter out particles of
the SARSCoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19. A surgical mask,
however, will reduce the transmission of germs from the patient into the air.
Do not place a
HEPA respirator on the patient; it is unnecessary and uncomfortable. Use
of a HEPA respirator should comply with OSHA standards, which state that
facial
hair, such as long sideburns or beards, will prevent a proper fit.
▶ A 30-year-old woman crashed her car into a tree at a high rate of speed.
She is conscious and alert and has stable vital signs. She has some
small lacerations and abrasions to her arms and face, but no obviously life-
threatening injuries. As you are loading her into the ambulance,
she tells you that she does not want to go to the hospital. You should:
A) advise her that she is probably too emotionally upset to be able to refuse
EMS treatment and transport.
B) ask a law enforcement officer to administer a breathalyzer test to
determine if she has been drinking alcohol.
C) advise the patient that she should be transported to the hospital
because of the seriousness of the crash.
D) obtain a signed refusal from the patient and ask a law enforcement
officer to transport her to the hospital.. Answer: C) advise the patient that
she should be transported to the hospital because of the seriousness of the
crash.
The consequences of refusal should be explained to any patient who
refuses EMS treatment and/or transport. After establishing that the patient
can legally
QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
2026
▶ Upon arriving at a mass-casualty incident, the EMT is assigned to the
treatment area. Upon completion of duties in the treatment area, the
EMT should:
A) notify the incident commander and return to service.
B) report to the treatment officer for further instructions.
C) report to the transportation area to assist with transport.
D) report to the triage section to check for remaining patients.. Answer: B)
report to the treatment officer for further instructions.
Organized operations at the scene of a mass-casualty incident are crucial
in order to achieve the best possible outcome and maximize the number of
lives
saved. When the EMT is given an assignment, he or she should complete
the assignment and then return to the individual who gave the assignment
for
further instructions. Self-assigning at the scene (freelancing) is dangerous
and can compromise the effectiveness of the overall operation.
▶ A patient injured his arm and asks to be transported to a specific hospital
because he has been there before. The EMT states that he does
not feel the doctors there are competent and recommends a different
hospital. The EMT's behavior is:
A) legal and ethical.
B) ethical, but illegal.
C) legal, but unethical.
D) illegal and unethical.. Answer: C) legal, but unethical.
The EMT's actions in this case are not illegal; he cannot go to jail for
making such comments. However, his actions are clearly unethical and
unprofessional,
,and could lead to allegations of slander by the physician; this would be a
civil case, not a criminal one. You must not allow your personal feelings to
influence
a patient's decision as to who treats him or her, or where he or she is
treated.
▶ You arrive at the scene of an 80-year-old woman who is weak and
lightheaded. Her son, who called 911, is present and asks you to transport
his mother to the hospital. You should:
A) advise the son that he can probably drive his mother to the hospital.
B) comply with the son's request and transport the woman to the hospital.
C) take the woman's vital signs and apply supplemental oxygen if
necessary.
D) assess the woman and determine if she wishes to be treated and
transported.. Answer: D) assess the woman and determine if she wishes
to be treated and transported.
You must obtain consent from any mentally competent adult patient prior to
initiating treatment. Just because the patient is 80 years old does not mean
that
she does not have decision-making capacity. Also, just because her son
wants her to be transported does not mean that she agrees with this
request. Ask her
if she wishes to be treated and transported to the hospital. If she does, then
you have obtained consent and should proceed accordingly. If she does
not, you
should determine if she has decision-making capacity--that is, whether she
is mentally competent. If she is determined to have decision-making
capacity,
then you cannot legally treat or transport her. If she does not have
decision-making capacity (eg, she is confused, she is under the influence
of drugs or
alcohol), then you may treat and transport under the law of implied consent.
It is not the EMT's decision to determine, let alone recommend, that a
patient be
taken to the hospital via privately owned vehicle (POV}. If the patient
requests EMS treatment and transport, you are legally obligated to do so.
▶ When using the power lift to lift a stretcher, you should:
A) maintain a slight inward curve to your back.
,B) bend at the waist and keep your back straight
C) ensure that you lift with your palms facing up.
D) maintain a slight outward curve to your back.. Answer: C) ensure that
you lift with your palms facing up.
To achieve the best grip and to avoid injury to your wrists, you should lift a
stretcher, backboard, or other carrying device with your palms facing up.
Do not
bend at the waist; rather, bend at the knees and keep your back in a
straight, locked-in position.
▶ You and your partner have secured a trauma patient to a long backboard
and are preparing to lift the backboard onto the stretcher. When
doing so, you should:
A) lift the backboard from the sides instead of from the ends.
B) be sure to lift the backboard with the powerful muscles of your back.
C) recall that most of the patient's weight is at the foot end of the
backboard.
D) ensure that the strongest EMT is positioned at the head of the
backboard.. Answer: D) ensure that the strongest EMT is positioned at the
head of the backboard.
Since most of the patient's weight is distributed to the head end of a
backboard, you should always ensure that the strongest EMT is at that
position. This will
reduce the risk of injury to less strong personnel as well as the risk of
dropping the patient. The backboard should be lifted from the ends, not the
sides; you
have less control over the board if it is lifted from the sides. When lifting any
patient, you should use the powerful muscles of your thighs, not your back,
to
lift. Keep your back straight and in a locked-in position.
▶ Which of the following statements regarding the high-efficiency
particulate air (HEPA) respirator is correct?
A) HEPA respirator should be placed on any patient with tuberculosis.
B) Long sideburns or a beard will prevent the proper fit of a HEPA
respirator.
C) A surgical mask provides better protection against tuberculosis than a
HEPA respirator.
, D) A HEPA respirator is necessary only if the patient with suspected
tuberculosis is coughing.. Answer: B) Long sideburns or a beard will
prevent the proper fit of a HEPA respirator.
If you are caring for a patient with known or suspected tuberculosis (TB) or
COVID-19, regardless of whether the patient is coughing, you should place
a
surgical mask (or high-flow oxygen, if indicated) on the patient and a high-
efficiency particulate air (HEPA) respirator (N-95 or higher) on yourself.
Unlike a
surgical mask, the HEPA respirator is specifically designed to prevent
exposure to the bacterium that causes TB; it can also filter out particles of
the SARSCoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19. A surgical mask,
however, will reduce the transmission of germs from the patient into the air.
Do not place a
HEPA respirator on the patient; it is unnecessary and uncomfortable. Use
of a HEPA respirator should comply with OSHA standards, which state that
facial
hair, such as long sideburns or beards, will prevent a proper fit.
▶ A 30-year-old woman crashed her car into a tree at a high rate of speed.
She is conscious and alert and has stable vital signs. She has some
small lacerations and abrasions to her arms and face, but no obviously life-
threatening injuries. As you are loading her into the ambulance,
she tells you that she does not want to go to the hospital. You should:
A) advise her that she is probably too emotionally upset to be able to refuse
EMS treatment and transport.
B) ask a law enforcement officer to administer a breathalyzer test to
determine if she has been drinking alcohol.
C) advise the patient that she should be transported to the hospital
because of the seriousness of the crash.
D) obtain a signed refusal from the patient and ask a law enforcement
officer to transport her to the hospital.. Answer: C) advise the patient that
she should be transported to the hospital because of the seriousness of the
crash.
The consequences of refusal should be explained to any patient who
refuses EMS treatment and/or transport. After establishing that the patient
can legally
